Bourne & Hollingsworth: Flowery wallpaper & cocktails in teacups

The first thing that comes to mind when I hear the words “Bourne & Hollingsworth” is granny’s floral wallpaper and chintz tea set. Which is odd considering it’s meant to be a trendy Fitzrovia cocktail bar…

Duck down the metal staircase into the perfect speakeasy setting – green flowery silk walls, tasselled lampshades, fireplace and mismatched chairs – the OTT chintzy tearoom décor couldn’t be a better Prohibition cover-up for what is actually a great cocktail bar. Bourne & Hollingsworth is London’s original speakeasy, though many others have popped up in its wake.

Drinking vessels are standard items you’d find in granny’s kitchen too – my Chimp’s Tea came in a teacup with a finger of shortbread on the side, and Barbut’s Whiskey Sour (not on the menu, but a perfectly executed drink) in a jam jar.

Casual, friendly and downright unusual, Bourne & Hollingsworth is definitely somewhere I’d go back to – great for dates, with friends or with co-workers. Cocktails are all roughly £9.